


i could (never) give you peace

by zukkababey



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Canon Compliant, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff and Angst, Idiots to Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Insecure Zuko (Avatar), Inspired by Music, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), Podfic Available, Post-Canon, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Tumblr Prompt, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, but nothing explicit, everything is sorted out in the end, except for where it's sort of not, please bear with him, zuko's really going through it in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25593343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zukkababey/pseuds/zukkababey
Summary: Zuko almost said it. He almost said the wordsI think I’m in love with you, but he choked them back down at the last second.Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how.But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.Or, a self indulgent Ambassador Sokka & Fire Lord Zuko fic set to the tune of ‘peace’ by Taylor Swift.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 217
Kudos: 1810





	i could (never) give you peace

**Author's Note:**

> someone left in my ask box "idk if you listen to taylor swift but.... peace from folklore, but make it zukka" and then this happened. oops? 
> 
> you don't have to listen to the song before reading, but i would recommend at least looking up the lyrics, because it really sets the ~vibe~ of the story.
> 
> also, please be aware that there is implied sexual content, but it's not described in explicit detail.
> 
> now let's get into it! enjoy :)

Zuko didn’t know how it started. One moment he and Sokka were tentative friends, trying to navigate being civil with each other after so long of being rivals. The next, they were something different. Something that was far outside the realm of just friendship.

They were something… intimate.

It happened suddenly, the switch from friends to more. Suddenly enough that Zuko expected it to end just as quickly as it started. But as Sozin’s Comet drew closer, and their hideout in the drafty Air Temple morphed into a humid beach on Ember Island, Sokka and Zuko were drawn together like magnets, like they couldn’t stop themselves if they tried. Not that Zuko was trying very hard. He had found a friend in Sokka, and he hoped that Sokka knew that he had a friend in him, too.

As the summer days slowly became shorter, and Sozin’s Comet was barely a week away, Sokka and Zuko lay together under the stars. Sokka found the heat in the Fire Nation unbearable, and was content to lay in the sand almost completely naked, while Zuko had gotten dressed immediately after they had rolled away from each other. There was sand sticking to the sweat on his back through his clothes, but if ignoring some discomfort would lend him more time with Sokka, Zuko didn’t have to hesitate.

During times like these, Sokka and Zuko usually made an effort to talk about anything and everything that didn’t have to do with the war – mundane things like Zuko’s time in Ba Sing Se, or stories of Sokka growing up in the Southern Water Tribe. But the heavy fact that Sozin’s Comet was just around the corner made it difficult to think about anything else.

Zuko looked over at Sokka, who had one arm propped behind his head, the picture of relaxed and casual. Zuko didn’t know how he could look like that, when they were willingly stepping into danger with no guarantee that they would win, in only a matter of _days._

The stars were reflecting in his eyes when Sokka finally asked, “We’re going to win, right?”

Maybe he wasn’t so confident, after all.

“I don’t know,” Zuko replied truthfully. He knew that it wasn’t what Sokka wanted to hear, but Zuko wasn’t the type to offer meaningless platitudes. Aang’s fight against his father was going to be difficult, especially if Aang had no intention of killing the guy. And Zuko was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he was going to have to fight his sister. Azula had always been better than him in combat – while Uncle had taught him much about firebending in their travels, he was still unsure if he would be able to defeat her single handedly, and that worried him.

As if sensing Zuko’s distress, Sokka rolled over onto his side, shuffling across the sand to rest his head on Zuko’s chest. His body was a line of warmth against Zuko’s side, firm and surprisingly comforting. Zuko was long past the point of fighting back against his body’s unconscious reactions to Sokka, so he let his limbs sink into the sand, relaxing to the point where it felt as if he were floating in water.

“You know, I can’t wait until the war is over. There’s going to be a lot to do, but there’ll finally be peace, and we all need some of that.” Sokka said softly. He was quiet for another moment before murmuring, “I think we’re going to win.”

His finger traced the neckline of Zuko’s tunic, dipping underneath the fabric to touch the warm skin underneath. Zuko’s breath hitched, reaching up a hand to press Sokka’s searching fingers flush against his heart, holding it there tightly.

Zuko wanted to say _I hope you’re right_ , but he didn’t know if the words would be true. He wanted the war to end, but he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for what would come after. He was next in line for the throne, and the thought terrified him.

Not even that long ago, all Zuko had wanted was to take his rightful place on the throne. Take the crown that was rightfully his. But his time in the Fire Nation after the fall of Ba Sing Se had turned that dream into a nightmare. The thought of becoming the Fire Lord filled him with a sick sense of dread.

Being the one to right a century of war crimes wasn’t even the worst of it. If Zuko were to become Fire Lord – which he _was_ if they finally ended the war – the Royal Palace would be the last place any of his new friends would want to stay. Katara and Sokka would go back to the Southern Water Tribe. Aang would go with them, before he would need to leave, back to travelling around the world and carrying out his Avatar duties. Suki would most likely return to Kyoshi Island. Zuko wasn’t sure about Toph, but he doubted the stuffy environment of the royal grounds would be her first choice to stay.

His friends would leave him, and he would be left trying to desperately fix a broken nation. 

Before Zuko even registered moving, he found himself rolling Sokka onto his back, pushing him into the sand. Sokka grinned up at him, fisting both hands in Zuko’s already rumpled clothing. He pulled Zuko down so they were chest to chest, and pressed their lips together once more.

For now, they didn’t need to think. They didn’t need to talk. They just needed this. 

* * *

When they saw each other again, Zuko was only standing upright because Katara was propping him up. Sokka limped closer, and they fell into each other’s arms.

Zuko’s chest still felt raw, like it had been torn open and hastily thrown back together, even after Katara’s quick healing session. The hurt was nothing compared to the overwhelming relief he felt as he held Sokka in his arms. For one, terrifying moment, as he looked up at the red sky and saw nothing but blue, he thought he’d never have this again. He thought he’d never get another chance to hold Sokka close, or to tell Sokka that he was pretty sure he was falling in love with him.

They held each other. They didn’t say anything, but they didn’t need to.

They were both alive. Ozai had been defeated. The war was all but over.

There was only one last thing to do. 

* * *

The next morning, Zuko was crowned Fire Lord. When he made his speech, his words were carefully chosen.

While he knew that Aang would help rebuild the world into an age of prosperity and peace, he also knew that his new friend would be leaving him. Their duties to their people were larger than their budding friendship. Zuko would stay in the Fire Nation, assume his responsibility as Fire Lord, as he had promised his uncle, and let his friends go.

It was just the way things had to be. 

* * *

Shortly after, Sokka left for the Southern Water Tribe. He went with his sister, as Zuko suspected he would, along with his father and Bato. Suki and Toph also joined them, as Aang agreed to drop them off at their respective homes along the way.

Zuko and Sokka had a moment alone before he left, where Sokka drew Zuko into a small alcove and hugged him tight.

“I’m so proud of you,” Sokka said into his neck. “I hope you know that.”

As Sokka pulled back, the pride was clear in his eyes, so Zuko replied, “I know.”

Sokka smiled, not one of his goofy grins, or his suggestive smirk he used when he thought he was being coy. It was a small smile, meaningful, one that Zuko wanted to fold into a box and save for safekeeping. It made Zuko’s heart clench, because Sokka was _leaving_. Zuko was most likely never going to see him again, not for a long while.

Zuko almost said it. He almost said the words _I think I’m in love with you,_ but he choked them back down at the last second.

Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how.

But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.

Sokka didn’t belong in the Fire Nation – he had told Zuko that himself as they had lain together one night. Sokka was eventually going to become Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, just like his father. They would be on opposite sides of the world, and as much as it tore his heart in two, Zuko figured that was for the best.

He would never be able to give Sokka the peace he craved now that the war had ended. The Royal Palace would be busy for years to come, seeking reparations and striking down old laws and enacting new ones. There were trials to be held for the supporters of Ozai, and there was the Fire Nation curriculum to rework, and _so many_ scrolls to read and sign. He still had to figure out how he was going to treat Azula, because whatever she needed, prison wasn’t it.

Keeping Sokka here would be selfish. Sokka belonged in the South Pole, where he could be surrounded by and reunited with his family. If Zuko asked Sokka to stay, Zuko would never forgive himself.

So when Sokka leaned in to kiss the edge of Zuko’s scar and whispered, “I’ll see you soon,” Zuko knew that he was lying.

He caressed a thumb along Sokka’s cheekbone, fingers tight where they clutched the back of Sokka’s head. “I’ll miss you,” Zuko told him, because he would. He was going to miss Sokka so much.

Sokka pressed forward, kissing him hard, and then he was gone.

Zuko let his head thunk back against the cool stone behind him, and determinedly did not cry. 

* * *

Six months later and Zuko thought he was getting the hang of this Fire Lord thing. It was more meetings and formalities than he expected when he was a naïve thirteen-year-old, but it didn’t come as a surprise to him. There was a lot to do to fix the state of the world, and Zuko wanted to do it all.

He received a few letters from his friends over the months. One from Toph. Two, surprisingly, from Suki. One from Katara. None from Sokka.

Katara’s letter had mentioned Sokka, because of course it had. She told Zuko that Sokka was currently in the midst of an important conversation with their father, otherwise she’s sure that Sokka would have added a paragraph or two and said hello. Zuko had recognized the niceties for what they were.

He replied to Toph’s letter promptly. It held a quick update about what she’d been up to the past couple of months since the war ended. She had gone home to the Bei Fong Estate, only to realize how much she truly hated it there. Apparently, she hadn’t stayed longer than a week, and instead, she went to join Earth Rumble VI. With Toph’s newfound celebrity status, the tournament announced that they would be going on a world tour. Toph graciously let Zuko know that she would notify him when they stopped in a town near Caldera City, and that she would save him front row seats.

Zuko found that he enjoyed reading her letter. She had discovered a place where she could continue doing what she loved, all while travelling the world. Zuko couldn’t think of anything better for her. He was glad she had found a place where she was happy.

Suki’s letter was a bit different. She also let Zuko know about what she was planning to do with her newfound time – much of it was about the rebuilding of her island. She never once asked for help, but Zuko didn’t hesitate before sending a building team straight to Kyoshi Island with orders that no amount of money was too much.

Her second letter was a strongly worded essay about how sometimes, when she wrote things, she wasn’t asking for anyone’s help. She only wanted to update him, and asked for an update on how things were going for him as Fire Lord in return. Included at the bottom of the scroll was a sincere thank you for his help, and a description of what she’d do to him if he ever attempted it again.

While Zuko knew Suki wasn’t being serious, he still burned the letter to a pile of ash, lest one of the members of his guard see it and think of it as a threat on the Fire Lord’s life.

The letters were infrequent. Only four in the span of six months. But he cherished each one deeply.

Sometimes, in the dead of night, he would take the three scrolls out from the box under his bed. He’d light a candle with his fingertip and read them over and over again until the sun came up, and pretend that he wasn’t totally, completely alone. 

* * *

Zuko had just finished a meeting when his assistant almost tripped him as he exited the room.

She squeaked as she realized what she had done, quickly bowing deeply to him as Zuko righted himself. He nodded awkwardly to the ministers who left the room after him before turning back to his assistant.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Fire Lord,” she said directly to the floor.

Zuko only barely held back his eye roll. It had been almost eight months of his reign and he still hadn’t gotten his assistant to just call him _Zuko._ The formalities were going to drive him insane. It felt like he would never escape them.

“Yes, Enura?” Zuko asked.

“There is someone waiting in your study,” she replied, her torso still parallel to the floor.

“Someone? Who? And Enura, please stand up.”

Enura did, somewhat hesitantly, as if he were going to reprimand her for doing exactly as he asked. “He, um. Wanted it to be a surprise.”

“ _He?_ ” Zuko stalked off in the direction of his study, his assistant half a step behind him. “Enura, you can’t just let people wait in my study when they haven’t been vetted by security! There are important documents in there!”

“The guards checked him over, sir, I swear, but he insisted on waiting for you in your study,” Enura tried to explain. She almost had to run to keep up with Zuko’s long strides. “I– I’m so sorry, sir, I just thought that–”

“You thought wrong,” Zuko interrupted.

He weaved through the long corridors until he came to a stop at his closed study door. He took a calming breath, but he could still feel a familiar heat simmering beneath his skin, ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice.

Zuko opened the door.

There was someone standing by the side of Zuko’s desk, hand reaching out to touch something on the surface. He spun around at the sound of the door opening, a huge grin spreading across his face as he caught sight of Zuko.

The heat that had crawled into the palm of Zuko’s hand evaporated completely at the sight of him.

“Zuko,” Sokka said warmly. He skirted the desk easily, crushing Zuko as he wrapped him in a huge hug.

“Sokka?” Zuko breathed. He clutched Sokka tighter, like if he let go Sokka would disappear. He would discover that this wasn’t real, that it was all a dream.

“Told you I’d see you soon,” Sokka said, and Zuko felt the familiar pinpricks of tears in his eyes because Sokka was _here._ Why was he here?

“Why are you here?” Zuko asked, finally pulling back. Sokka stepped away, and Zuko had to force his hand to stay by his side, keeping himself from reaching out to pull Sokka right back in.

The other man – and god, Sokka was a man now – gestured to his outfit. It was very clearly Water Tribe gear, white and blue as far as the eye could see. But then Zuko realized that he was wearing a modified version of traditional Water Tribe clothing. It was similar to what Sokka used to wear before the war ended, but the material was completely different.

Zuko couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to touch the edge of Sokka’s tunic. “This is Fire Nation silk.”

Sokka looked extremely proud of himself. “Sure is.”

“Why?”

Sokka scoffed. “ _Why,_ he asks.” He turned back to Zuko’s desk, rifling through the stacks of parchment that Zuko still had to sort through.

Zuko saw the way Enura started to look like she might pass out, so he told her, “You are dismissed for the night.”

She looked surprised at not being fired on the spot, but she wasn’t about to contest Zuko’s generosity. Enura bowed deeply once again, then ducked out of the room. As the door closed behind her, Sokka finally brandished a sheet of parchment at Zuko.

“Behold!” he announced, then shoved the paper into Zuko’s hands.

Zuko read the words carefully, but he was still very confused. “This is just the agreement between myself and the Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation.”

“Uh huh,” Sokka said.

“What does this have to do with anything?” Zuko asked.

“Spirits, you are _thick,_ ” Sokka replied.“ _I’m_ your Water Tribe Ambassador!”

Zuko stared at Sokka. It seemed like any coherent thought he ever had or would ever have just flew out the window. “You. What.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the past eight months?” Sokka asked, and he was starting to sound hurt.

“You… you never sent any letters.” The words left his mouth before Zuko could stop them.

“Yeah, because I was _busy._ ”

“I thought the Water Tribe Ambassador was from the North.”

“I… perhaps fudged that little detail,” Sokka said, scratching the back of his head. “If I said I was from the South, you would have caught on. I… I wanted it to be a surprise.” Suddenly, Sokka straightened his shoulders, gaze dropping to the floor. His expression shuttered entirely. “Unless, you, um. Maybe I read this wrong? I thought that–”

“No!” Zuko exclaimed, rushing forward to clasp Sokka’s wrist. Sokka looked up at him with wide eyes. “I would… like it if you were Ambassador. I could really do with the company.”

Zuko swore that Sokka’s eyes started to sparkle. “Good,” Sokka said. “Because I would like it if I were Ambassador too. I think we could really do some good, here.”

Oh.

Of course Sokka came to the Fire Nation – a place he _hated_ –because he wanted to help Zuko make it a better place. Of _course_ that was the reason he was here. Not because Sokka loved him back. _Obviously._

“Me too,” Zuko said, swallowing thickly. His throat felt unbelievably dry.

“So?” Sokka said, drawing out the vowel. He propped his hip on the edge of Zuko’s desk. “Are you going to give me the grand tour? Maybe… show me to my rooms?”

“Sure,” Zuko replied, and it was a miracle that he hadn’t completely shut down by now. He felt like the space where his heart was had been hollowed out, still rough around the edges. “Follow me.”

Zuko showed Sokka the royal gardens, the turtleduck pond that he spent a surprising amount of time at, and the courtyard. The inside of the palace was mostly empty hallways and empty rooms, so Zuko skipped over most of it.

“Wow,” Sokka said as they walked through another long hallway, one that was devoid of people. They had passed one servant, but that was twenty minutes ago. “You weren’t kidding when you said you’d like some company. It’s kind of a ghost town in here.”

Zuko hummed in agreement, finally coming to a stop in front of the rooms he had set aside for the Water Tribe Ambassador. The furnishings were impersonal – he wished he had known Sokka was coming, he would have put more effort into making it feel like home.

When he pushed open the door, he noticed that the bundle of Sokka’s belongings had been deposited at the end of the bed. 

“Well,” Zuko said, gesturing to the room as a whole. “This is it. If you want to–”

Zuko was effectively cut off by Sokka grabbing Zuko’s face, surprisingly gentle, and slotting their mouths together.

A startled sound escaped from between Zuko’s lips, because he thought that Sokka didn’t want this anymore. Clearly, Zuko could not have been more wrong. Sokka was kissing him like he was parched and Zuko was the nearest water source.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zuko kissed back just as hungrily, because _spirits,_ he thought he’d lost this. He thought he wouldn’t see Sokka again until they were both invited to Katara and Aang’s wedding. So he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

Zuko pulled at Sokka’s strange mix of Water Tribe and Fire Nation clothing, easily pulling the sleeveless tunic apart, dragging his hands down Sokka’s muscled torso.

“Fuck, I missed this,” Sokka said, lithe fingers already working at the complicated strings and fastenings of Zuko’s formal robes.

“I missed you,” Zuko said, and by the time he realized what he said, there was no way to take the words back.

Sokka grinned. “I missed you too,” he said. “Now strip.” 

* * *

Zuko slowly dressed, his motivation to leave dwindling as Sokka kissed the back of his neck, the knob at the top of his spine, the curve of his shoulder.

“Don’t go,” Sokka whispered softly, breath warm against Zuko’s already heated skin.

“If I don’t sleep in my own quarters tonight, the guards will think I’ve been kidnapped,” Zuko replied.

Sokka hummed, and Zuko had to close his eyes as he felt the vibration rumble where Sokka had plastered himself against Zuko’s back. All Sokka said was, “Noted.”

He let Zuko finish getting dressed, then dragged Zuko back in for a filthy kiss. Finally, he allowed Zuko to push off the bed and slip on his shoes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Fire Lord Zuko,” Sokka said. His hair was an absolute mess against the red bedsheets. Zuko wanted nothing more than to sink into the mattress next to him, maybe mess his hair up even further, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Bright and early, Ambassador Sokka,” Zuko responded, and then closed the door behind him.

Before he went back to his rooms, he stopped at his study. He lit a single candle, reading the Ambassadorship contract in full whereas he had only quickly scanned it before.

And there it was – right at the bottom, in Zuko’s own handwriting. _The contract is expected to commence in 100 AG and end in 102 AG._

Two years. He had two years with Sokka before he inevitably left again, moving on to a bigger and brighter future. A future that didn’t involve having to live in the Fire Nation. A future that very clearly didn’t include staying with the Fire Lord, no matter how much Sokka said he missed him.

Two years.

Zuko could live with that. 

* * *

Sokka living in the Fire Nation might have been the best thing that ever happened to Zuko. Not only was Sokka extremely intelligent in the meetings he attended, he was also patient with the older ministers that truly did not understand Water Tribe culture. He sat with the Minister of Education for a full eight hours and pointed out the flaws in the Fire Nation’s curriculum, but he did it in such a way where at the end of it, the Minister was thanking Sokka for helping him out.

Zuko had been trying to get through to that guy for _eight months,_ and Sokka did it in a matter of hours.

He couldn’t help but be proud of Sokka. Because Zuko might have been raised to be a leader, but Sokka was born to be one. And that was clear in the way he commanded a room, demanded people’s attention without being the least bit demanding, how he charmed every single member of the palace to cater to all of his whims, no matter how ridiculous they were.

One day, he asked the cooks to prepare a picnic lunch, and they did it without asking any questions. Sokka and Zuko sat by the turtleduck pond for way too long, talking and eating and feeding the ducklings. For the first time in a long, long time, Zuko felt the vibrancy of the world around him. No longer was everything around him dull and muted – he ran his fingers through the bright green grass and smiled up at the blue sky and felt like he could pull in a breath that actually filled his lungs.

To further Zuko’s conviction that Sokka living in the Fire Nation was the best thing to happen to Zuko, Sokka got Enura to start calling Zuko by his actual name. Zuko thought he would never see the day.

Sokka even sat with Zuko when he decided there needed to be more staff around the Royal Palace. After Ozai’s defeat, everyone had been let go. Some had been re-hired after a painful screening process, but Zuko had been exhausted by the end of it. Instead, he focused his efforts on making peace between the nations. There were more important things in the world than having a lively palace.

But now, surrounded by smiling staff who nodded at him as they passed, Zuko had to admit that Sokka was right. With more people, the palace felt less like an abandoned, haunted warehouse and more like a place that people would actually want to spend time at.

One morning, Zuko stood at his balcony and looked over the royal gardens. He was pleased to see that with the re-hiring of gardeners, the flowers and hedges were looking much better. Livelier.

Zuko smiled. Happier.

He cast a glance back through the open door into his bedroom. Past the curtain billowing with the breeze, he could just make out the edge of Sokka, face mashed into Zuko’s pillow. Zuko smiled harder.

Happier. Definitely much happier. 

* * *

The Restoration Harmony Movement backfired terribly.

His meeting with King Kuei and Aang over a year ago had been amicable. Zuko might even have called it downright pleasant. He had pledged to remove all Fire Nation colonies from the Earth Kingdom, and Aang had agreed to oversee the process while Zuko returned to Caldera City. Aang’s purpose was to ensure that everything went peacefully.

Aang failed.

They didn’t see Kori Morishita coming. Zuko was almost killed. _Sokka_ was almost killed.

Zuko _knew_ that he would never be able to be someone that could bring peace to Sokka. He had fallen onto a dangerous path this past year, with Sokka by his side. He had almost forgotten the realities of being Fire Lord, that danger lurked around every corner that was near Zuko. Zuko himself was dangerous, because the danger lived inside him. It only revealed itself when someone he loved was threatened, and Sokka’s life had undeniably been threatened with the assassination attempt.

All he had wanted to do was shield Sokka from this type of stuff, because Sokka didn’t deserve it. Sokka deserved to be in the South Pole with his family, learning the ins and outs of being the chief of his tribe. Instead, he was stuck as an Ambassador to a nation that he didn’t even _like_ , and putting his life at risk in the process. It made Zuko’s heart hurt if he thought about it too hard, so he tried not to.

When the assassin revealed she was the daughter of Mayor Morishita, the mayor of the oldest Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko decided to travel to Yu Dao and settle the matter himself.

Sokka protested the issue, but Zuko wanted to fix this in person. Sokka said he respectfully disagreed, but that he was coming with him anyways. Zuko rolled his eyes, but he didn’t want to fight with Sokka, so he let him.

Zuko and Sokka were invited by the mayor and his wife to spend some time in Yu Dao, to see what life was like in the colony. As the two of them walked side by side down the streets, Zuko noticed how intertwined the citizens of both nations had become. They were working together, living in the same neighbourhoods, marrying each other. The people were happy here, he realized.

Before arriving at the colony, Zuko had wanted to double down on the Restoration Harmony Movement, if it was going to continue to cause problems. Something had obviously gone terribly wrong in the execution of the plan, and the issues needed to be fixed and addressed before he could leave.

But then Sokka grabbed his hand as they walked along the shopfronts, fingers interlaced. Just like how the red of the Fire Nation had intertwined with Earth Kingdom green, Zuko and Sokka were also a blend of colours. Blue beside red, red beside blue.

Sokka squeezed his fingers, and Zuko squeezed back.

At Zuko’s next meeting with Aang and King Kuei, he announced that the separation of the four nations could no longer apply in the post-war era as it had before. The four nations, over the course of the war, had become intertwined in such a way that Zuko never would have realized if not for visiting Yu Dao himself. After the King saw for himself how the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom citizens had banded together, he agreed.

While the original purpose of the Restoration Harmony Movement was defeated, its collapse led to something infinitely better – a peaceful and integrated coexistence between the four nations. Yu Dao and the other older Fire Nation colonies elected coalition governments of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom representatives. They became the United Republic of Nations, and the capital was named Republic City.

It was a new era of peace and prosperity.

Sokka and Zuko returned to the Fire Nation. Sokka pressed Zuko into their bed, jetlag be damned, and told Zuko that he was proud of him, that he would always be proud of him. Zuko had to kiss him to get him to shut up. 

* * *

One day, on a rare occasion where Zuko was still in bed past sunrise, Sokka looked at the walls of Zuko’s bedroom and said, “We should paint the walls in here.”

“Oh?” Zuko replied distractedly. He was running his fingers through Sokka’s hair, trying to braid it like Sokka had shown him, but he was hopeless.

“Yeah,” Sokka confirmed. He pushed himself up, dislodging Zuko’s hands from his hair, then climbed on top of Zuko so he was straddling his thighs. “I was thinking… blue.”

“Blue?” Zuko echoed. His hands circled Sokka’s hips without him even consciously thinking about it. “Don’t you think it might look a little odd with everything else?”

“Hmm.” Sokka looked around the room, like he was thinking about it. “How about we do one wall, and see how it goes?”

Zuko was helpless to deny Sokka anything, so he said, “Okay.”

Sokka grinned down at him. “Okay.”

“I’ll have Enura contact the finest painter and have them–”

“No,” Sokka interrupted. “Let’s do it ourselves.”

“Oh,” Zuko said softly.

“We have the entire day off today,” Sokka said. “ _Both_ of us. That’s practically unheard of. And I… might have already got Enura to deliver the paint. It’s in your closet.”

“ _My_ closet?” Zuko said, affronted. “What about _your_ closet?” Zuko pointed to Sokka’s closet across the room.

“It’s full.” Sokka shrugged sheepishly. “What can I say, the shops in the city know how to make nice clothes.”

Zuko rolled his eyes, barely surprised. He’d been present on all those shopping trips, after all. “Well, let’s get started, then,” he said, patting Sokka’s thighs.

“What, right now?” Sokka asked.

“Yes?” Zuko responded, the word sounding more like a question than a statement. “Is that a problem?”

“Well… it _is_ our day off…” Sokka smirked down at Zuko, running his hands up Zuko’s torso to thumb at his nipple.

Yeah, Zuko could get on board with this. Growling playfully, Zuko managed to flip Sokka onto his back, blanketing Sokka’s body with his own. “Sex now, painting later?”

Sokka pulled Zuko down to fasten their lips together. “Baby, it’s like you read my mind.” 

* * *

Zuko and Sokka stood facing the wall. Sokka had his hands on his hips, chest puffed up in pride. Zuko gaped.

“I leave for _ten minutes,_ ” Zuko said.

“You were gone an _hour,_ Zuko,” Sokka replied.

“I was getting us lunch from the kitchen!”

“Yes, and that apparently took you an _hour._ ”

Zuko shook his head, because Sokka didn’t need to know the reason why Zuko had taken an hour. The cooks had assured Zuko that the food would be delivered when it was ready, but Zuko wanted to be sure that the cooks prepared it _just_ the way Sokka liked it. The cooks had, of course, prepared the dish perfectly, much to Zuko’s chagrin. But they didn’t seem angry as they handed the food off to Zuko, more like quietly fond. Which was odd, Zuko thought, but by then he’d been gone from Sokka too long, and he rushed back to his rooms.

And saw the absolute monstrosity that Sokka had made of his bedroom wall.

“I can’t believe you made a _shrine_ to the _Avatar_ on my bedroom wall,” Zuko said faintly. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Sokka looked at Zuko with wide eyes. “It’s not a shrine to the Avatar!”

Zuko pointed at the wall. “You’re going to tell me that _isn’t_ Appa flying around the clouds with Aang?”

Sokka sputtered, “Well, _yeah!_ Of course it’s Appa! But there’s also you and me in the back, along with Toph and Suki and Katara. It’s Team Avatar!”

Zuko peered closer at the mural. There were five blobs sitting in Appa’s carrier, with an orange blob sitting on Appa’s head. He had to admit that the clouds were a nice touch.

Zuko looked back at Sokka. “I leave for _one hour,_ and you paint a mural of Team Avatar on the Fire Lord’s bedroom wall?”

Sokka grinned widely, back to looking proud. “Yup!”

Zuko sighed, because of course Sokka did. Zuko didn’t know why he expected anything different.

Sokka’s finger reached out to _almost_ touch the edge of Appa, still wary of the drying paint. “I miss them. Don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Zuko replied quietly. He hadn’t seen Toph or Suki in a while, and the last time he saw Katara and Aang had been when Sokka and him travelled to Yu Dao all those months ago. “I miss them everyday.” He turned to look at Sokka, tracing his profile with his eyes, committing every part of him to memory like he had been doing ever since Sokka became Ambassador. _I’m going to miss you,_ Zuko thought, and didn’t say.

They had six more months before Sokka’s contract ended. It should seem like a long time, but the past eighteen months had flown by faster than Zuko thought possible. He knew that six months would be nothing, and they’d be over as quickly as they started.

It felt weird to miss Sokka when he was standing right next to him. He was close enough for Zuko to touch, but there might as well have been a chasm between them for how far away Zuko felt from him.

Zuko focused back on the mural. “It’s nice,” he told Sokka. “I like it. You did a good job.”

Sokka’s entire face lit up at the praise, immediately crossing the short distance between himself and Zuko and lifting him clear off his feet in a giant hug.

“Sokka!” Zuko squawked. “Put me down!”

Sokka grinned up at Zuko, their faces inches apart. “You have to ask nicely.”

“I am the Fire Lord, and I demand you put me down _this instant._ ”

“I said _nicely._ ”

Zuko wiggled against Sokka’s hold, trying not to be impressed by the fact that Sokka didn’t even seem to be struggling with his weight. That was… interesting information.

He sighed. “Please?”

Sokka gently set Zuko back down on his feet, smoothing Zuko’s hair back and away from his face where it had fallen loose. “You have paint on your face,” Sokka said, thumb pressing against the edge of Zuko’s scar.

Zuko buried his face into Sokka’s shoulder. “You let me leave this room when I had _paint_ on my face?”

“It looks cute,” Sokka replied with a shrug.

Zuko’s head shot up, narrowing his eyes at Sokka. “ _Cute?_ ”

Sokka booped Zuko’s nose with a finger. “Very cute.”

If asked about what he did next, Zuko would say that madness had overtaken him. There was no other explanation that could adequately describe why Zuko did what he did. He stepped away from Sokka, dipped his entire hand into what was left of the blue paint, and swiped it across Sokka’s face.

Sokka, for some reason, stayed stock still throughout the entire ordeal, even going so far as to press his lips together so no paint got into his mouth.

For a moment, they stared at each other.

Then Sokka said, “This is war.”

After that, it was a blur of white and blue paint, slapped against any piece of skin they could reach. Their clothes were already ruined anyway, so they fought dirty – anything went. White paint was smeared across Zuko’s old tunic, mixing with blue that dripped from his hair. Zuko had cracked open the brown colour Sokka had used for Appa and poured it down the front of Sokka’s chest, and Sokka yelped as the cold paint made contact with his skin.

By the end of it, both of them were a multicoloured mess, panting heavily but laughing all the same. Sokka’s hand, drenched in almost dry white paint, came up to cup Zuko’s jaw. “You have paint on your face.”

Zuko swayed closer, their noses almost touching. He was sure it was an understatement – his entire face must be blue at this point. “Do I still look cute?”

“No,” Sokka replied, and Zuko pulled back in affront.

“Excuse me?”

Sokka grabbed Zuko around the waist, reeling him back in. “You look hot in Water Tribe colours.”

Zuko gave Sokka a flat look. “I don’t think this counts.”

“I think it does.”

“Definitely doesn’t.”

“Mmm, I’m pretty sure it does.” Sokka nosed his way up Zuko’s neck, pressing dry kisses against the column of his throat.

Zuko rolled his eyes, giving up. “Just kiss me.”

Sokka did, smiling into it. The kiss tasted like paint and was altogether probably the grossest thing that he and Sokka had ever done, but Zuko still wrapped his arms around Sokka’s neck and kissed him harder.

“Shower?” Sokka mumbled between kisses.

“Yes, please,” Zuko breathed. Sokka pushed Zuko backwards into the attached bathroom.

Over Sokka’s shoulder, Zuko could see the table of food that had most likely gone cold ages ago, miraculously untouched by their paint war. He had half a mind to mention it to Sokka, but then his shirt was being pulled off and Sokka’s mouth was attaching back to his, and _yeah._ The food could wait. 

* * *

Sokka unloaded his and Zuko’s bag off the Fire Nation ship. The two of them had been gone for only a couple of weeks, but it was on official business. The time they spent in the newly formed Republic City hadn’t exactly been a vacation. Zuko was exhausted.

Sokka was, too. “I can’t wait to get home to my favourite pillow,” he yawned. “I’m ready to sleep for a thousand years.”

Zuko smiled sadly to himself. Sokka had three months left in his contract as Ambassador, and he was clearly ready to return to the South Pole. “You’re almost there, Sokka,” Zuko told him as they climbed into the caravan that would take them back to Caldera City. “Hang in there.”

Sokka huffed in response, sidling up next to Zuko and resting his head on Zuko’s shoulder. “You’ll have to do,” Sokka said, closing his eyes.

Zuko didn’t know what that meant, so he shook his head and looked out the window. The caravan started to move, taking a more discreet route through the woods. Zuko watched the docks slowly transform into the dark underbrush of the dense forest. The moon was bright above the treetops, illuminating the inside of the vehicle just enough so Zuko could reach for Sokka’s hand where it was laying between them.

He traced the back of Sokka’s knuckles, listening to the sound of him breathing over the crunch of the caravan along the gravel road.

Three more months. That’s all he had left.

He supposed he should be grateful for the time that he did have with Sokka, for the warm mornings together, for the easy meals they shared, and how he could light up a room with nothing but his laugh.

Zuko thought that maybe over the two years of Sokka’s ambassadorship, this thing they were doing would turn sour, and when the contract expired, it would be a relief for both of them. But it seemed that the opposite had happened. Zuko didn’t want Sokka to leave, not now, not when what they had together was so _good._

He remembered how he felt almost two years ago, when he was terrified to become Fire Lord. He felt that same sick dread now when he thought about Sokka leaving him. The palace would lose its vibrancy. Colours would go back to how they were before Sokka’s arrival, dull and muted. Zuko would have to paint over that damn sky mural in his bedroom because he’d never be able to look at it without thinking of Sokka.

Zuko had thought about distancing himself from Sokka, thinking that maybe if they stopped doing what they were doing, it would be easier when Sokka inevitably left. But he was weak. Every time he tried, Sokka would do something that would convince him to drop the subject entirely.

He loved Sokka. So damn much. The past two years was enough proof of that, and it didn’t seem like his feelings were going away anytime soon.

But he knew Sokka wasn’t going to stay, and he had come to terms with it. He was going to take advantage of all their time together, and then Sokka would go back to the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko would continue running the Fire Nation, and all would be well. He’d be fine. It would take some adjusting, but Zuko would be _fine._

When Sokka left, Zuko would be fine. As long as he kept telling himself that, maybe it would one day ring true.

Suddenly, Zuko was jolted out of his thoughts as the caravan screeched to a halt. The force of it was enough to almost throw Sokka out of his seat, but Zuko flattened a hand across his chest to keep him upright.

“Wha–” Sokka exclaimed, immediately awake. “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko replied. He couldn’t see much other than the dark forest around them. “Arem?” Zuko called out to their driver. “What’s wrong?”

Arem did not respond.

The adrenaline was kicking in – Zuko could feel the thump of his heartbeat in his chest. He turned back to Sokka. “Stay here,” he told him.

“Like hell I’m going to stay here,” Sokka protested.

“Stay behind me, then,” Zuko said, because he recognized that look in Sokka’s eyes. He wasn’t going to back down on this, Zuko knew.

Sokka already had his boomerang in hand. He never travelled without it.

Zuko met his eyes, then nodded. He kicked open the door, and when no sound came from outside, he climbed out.

There was a man standing in front of the caravan, and Arem was standing in his clutches, a knife pressed to his throat. Beside the two men stood a familiar face dressed in Fire Nation red.

“Ukano?” Zuko asked. “What is this?”

“Mai’s father?” Sokka whispered from beside Zuko. Zuko nodded.

“The Fire Nation has grown weak under your rule, Fire Lord Zuko,” he called out, tone mocking as he used Zuko’s formal title. “The only way to restore our nation to its former glory is to return Ozai to his throne.”

“My father will never be released from prison,” Zuko replied, voice hard.

“He will if you’re not around to stop us,” Ukano said, and then a column of fire shot from his fist, directly at Zuko and Sokka.

Zuko barely had time to think before he was pushing Sokka away from the flames, quickly slicing his hands before him to dissipate the fire. The orange flames licked across the ground, singeing the grass and the edge of the caravan as they dissolved into the night air. Zuko recovered quickly, shooting off two balls of fire towards Ukano.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed the army of people in all black that emerged from the edge of the forest. There must have been twenty of them. When it was only Ukano and his right hand man, Zuko hadn’t thought much of the ambush. But this must have been planned. Meticulously.

If Zuko was alone, he might have fought back. But Sokka was right behind him, scrambling to his feet. The boomerang was still in his hand, eyes calculating. Zuko wasn’t going to let potentially twenty firebenders unleash their power on Sokka all at once – Sokka was a skilled fighter, but he wasn’t _that_ good.

Completely surrounded, Zuko and Sokka pressed against each other, back to back.

“Nice effort,” Ukano said as he stepped closer, clapping very slowly. “So _this_ is the self-righteous Fire Lord that stole the throne from Ozai. One that got himself surrounded in less than five minutes. Astounding, truly.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes, refusing to say anything. He had heard whispers of the New Ozai Society, of course he had, he was the leader of the Fire Nation. But he didn’t expect something as brazen as this. From Mai’s _father,_ of all people. Perhaps he should have.

Zuko knew that danger lurked in the Fire Nation. It was the main reason why he knew Sokka could never truly be happy here. Zuko was honestly just angry that people like Ukano had to keep on proving him right.

Using his robes as cover, Zuko reached behind himself to tap on Sokka’s wrist with a single finger. Two taps on the outside of his wrist, another two on the inside. _Two men ahead, two men behind. Go for them, I’ll deal with the rest._ He wasn’t completely sure if Sokka would understand the silent communication, but he trusted that Sokka could hold his own if he got enough of the ambushers’ attention placed on himself. His heartbeat still hadn’t calmed down, but now he was counting on that adrenaline to propel him and Sokka to victory.

Zuko hurled a stream of fire towards the masked crowd that had encircled them, sending them stumbling back. He barely had a chance to make sure Sokka was going for the soldiers that his flames hadn’t reached. Sokka was already grappling with the closest one, blocking a blow from the side as another soldier inserted himself into the fray. Zuko wanted to step in and help, but there were more pressing issues – namely, the mass of black-clad men and women that were now descending on him all at once.

It was a grueling fight. Harder than that time he broke Aang out of Zhao’s clutches. _Definitely_ worse than when Jet attacked him in Ba Sing Se. But nothing would ever come close to the time he battled Azula, so Zuko set his shoulders back and bared his teeth, and he fought.

Zuko thought he was exhausted before. That was nothing to how he felt as he slowly climbed to his feet, his entire body aching. The last of the ambushers lay still on the scorched earth below. Ukano had fled, along with his right hand man, leaving the driver shaking, but alive, in their stead.

Sokka was already standing, dripping sweat from not only the exertion of fighting, but the stifling temperature of the air around them.

Zuko could barely believe they were both alive. Two against twenty had not been good odds. But here they stood, chests heaving, unconscious bodies splayed on the ground beneath them.

The Royal Guard arrived when the fight was all but over, and they dealt with the fallen soldiers, binding them easily so they could not escape when they woke.

Zuko started to walk towards the city.

“Where are you going?” Sokka called after him.

“There’s a lot to do,” Zuko replied, pressing forward. “Ukano is still out there.”

“Zuko, you can’t be serious. It’s the middle of the night. You need to rest.”

“I’ll rest when he’s found,” Zuko grit out through a clenched jaw.

Sokka finally caught up, gripping Zuko’s upper arm. Zuko didn’t even need to shake him off – the pure heat radiating from his body was enough for Sokka to pull his hand back, lest he be burned.

Zuko kept walking.

Sokka didn’t follow. 

* * *

Zuko didn’t see Sokka for the next twenty-four hours.

His rage was all-consuming. Not only had the New Ozai Society tried to kill Zuko, they had tried to kill _Sokka._ And he wasn’t even mad at the rebellion, not really. He was angry at himself, for letting such a group go unchecked for so long. It was under _his_ rule that the New Ozai Society had grown and flourished. A group that bred hate, and hostility, and _pain._

When Zuko became Fire Lord, as much as he was terrified, he wanted to make the Fire Nation a better place. But who was he kidding? He could never achieve the level of peace and prosperity that he had so desperately hoped for at his coronation.

He wasn’t good enough. He would _never_ be good enough. Not for the Fire Nation, and definitely not for Sokka.

When the Royal Guard finally found Ukano, Zuko let himself into his bed chambers. What he wasn’t expecting was Sokka to be standing in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for him.

Sokka turned as he heard the door open. It reminded Zuko of when Sokka first showed up in his study almost two years ago. He had smiled so brightly at Zuko, back then.

He didn’t smile now.

“Took you long enough,” Sokka said.

“I told you I wouldn’t rest until he was found,” Zuko replied.

“You haven’t _slept?_ At all? Zuko.”

“What?” Zuko asked defensively. “Sokka, I’m the _Fire Lord_. I need to make sure the nation is _safe._ ”

“I know that!” Sokka exclaimed. “But you already do so much, Zuko. You need rest!”

The anger he thought he’d reigned in comes flaring back to the surface, hot and rushed. The words fly out of his mouth unbidden. “I _don’t_ do so much, Sokka! I’m a failure!”

It was quiet in the room, just for a moment. “Zuko,” Sokka said softly. “Where is this coming from?”

“You know,” Zuko said scathingly. “You’ve known from the very start.”

Sokka only looked confused, which Zuko found irritating. “What are you talking about?”

“Stop playing dumb, Sokka,” Zuko snarled.

“Excuse me?” Sokka asked. “I’m not playing anything, here.”

Zuko scoffed, finally having enough of Sokka’s oblivious act. “You’re playing _me._ ”

Sokka stared across the room at Zuko, blue eyes the colour of ice. Very carefully, he said, “What are you talking about?”

The words were already out there – Zuko had no choice but to elaborate. Sokka was leaving in three months anyways, what did he have to lose? He’d already lost Sokka long ago.

In the same measured tone that Sokka had used, Zuko said, “You don’t belong here, Sokka. You never have.”

Sokka reared back as if Zuko had slapped him. “ _Excuse me?_ ” he asked. “What exactly does _that_ mean?”

“It means exactly that!” Zuko yelled. “You hate the Fire Nation! You hate it here! You have _never once_ intended to stay. Your contract expires in three months, and then you’re _leaving._ ”

Sokka looked at him with wide eyes, lips parted in shock. “Is that what you think?”

“That’s what I _know,_ Sokka! And how _dare_ you look at me like you’re surprised. All you have ever wanted since the war ended was _peace,_ Sokka. And I have proven time and time again that I can never give you peace.”

At that, Sokka had the audacity to laugh. Brow furrowed, Zuko watched as Sokka’s shoulders shook, his hand coming up to cover his mouth like that would hold in the giggles.

“Why are you laughing?” Zuko demanded.

“It’s just…” Sokka trailed off as he descended into laughter once more. “It’s just _absolutely ridiculous_ that you believe that. Tell me you don’t actually believe that.”

“I–” Zuko gave Sokka an incredulous look. “Of course I believe that!”

The humour in Sokka’s expression slid right off his face. “Oh.”

“Sokka, you almost _died_ tonight. As long as you stand by my side, you will _always_ be in danger. I’m the damn _Fire Lord._ ”

“Okay.”

Zuko looked at Sokka blankly. “Okay?”

Sokka nodded. “Okay. Are you done?”

“Am I– Am I done?”

“Yeah,” Sokka said, and he was starting to sound agitated. “You just did a whole lot of talking on my behalf. I think it’s my turn.”

Zuko sighed. He already knew how Sokka felt, he doubted it could hurt any worse coming directly from his own mouth.

“Fine.” Zuko scrubbed both hands down his face. “Go ahead.”

Despite Sokka’s request to speak, he remained silent for a long while. He didn’t move a single inch as he watched Zuko fidget.

Finally, after an extremely uncomfortable staring match, Sokka started to talk. “When I was fifteen, I met a boy from the Fire Nation. I didn’t like him very much, but that was mostly because he was trying to capture the Avatar, the world’s one chance at ending the war and creating peace.”

Zuko crossed his arms and looked away. He decided that he didn’t want to hear this after all, but Sokka barrelled on.

“When I was sixteen, that same boy from the Fire Nation asked us if he could join our team. Imagine our surprise. And, I got to know this boy quite well, you know… in the _spiritual_ sense.”

Zuko couldn’t hold back his snort at Sokka’s allusion to sex. This man was so goddamn ridiculous.

“I got to know this boy quite well,” Sokka repeated. “And I learned that he had overcome so much trauma, and pain, and _hurt,_ all so he could follow his destiny. That destiny being to help the Avatar take down the Fire Lord, end a century long war, and bring about an era of peace.”

Zuko rolled his eyes at that, because yeah, that’s what he wanted at the time. And look how that turned out. The Restoration Harmony Movement had crumbled. Rebellion groups had been cropping up directly under his nose, and he had done _nothing._

“When I was seventeen, I realized that I was in love,” Sokka began again, and Zuko stared, unbelieving. “I was sitting in a canoe, and I was fishing with my father. We were talking about the potentiality of me becoming chief, like, years down the line. And as my dad spoke about the love and dedication that a chief had to have to his tribe, I realized that… I just didn’t have that anymore. Of course, while I still love the Southern Water Tribe, and I’m definitely going to visit when the contract ends – emphasis on _visit_ – I finally understood that my heart belonged elsewhere. Somewhere crazy like the middle of a dormant volcano. Because that’s where you were.”

Sokka looked at Zuko imploringly. “Do you get it now? _I_ came here of my _own_ volition because I wanted to spend time with you. I’m in love with you. I don’t care that you’re the Fire Lord. I don’t care about the fact that I’ll be in danger just by being associated with you. Dammit, I’ve even gotten used to the stupid _weather._ Frankly, peace is overrated.”

 _Peace is overrated._ Zuko blinked, and he tried to swallow, but he couldn’t. He was still reeling from the fact that Sokka just said that _he was in love with him._

Sokka crossed the room in three long strides, palms warm where they cupped Zuko’s cheeks. It forced Zuko to look directly into Sokka’s earnest blue eyes. “Zuko. I love you. I have loved you for over two years, now. I love Caldera City, I love the palace, I love our bedroom.”

“Our bedroom?” Zuko couldn’t help but interrupt, voice faint.

“Uh, yeah? I think it’s pretty safe to call it our bedroom.”

“What makes you say that?”

Very seriously, Sokka said, “I haven’t slept in the Ambassador’s quarters since that very first night. Not once.”

Zuko cast his mind back. Had he and Sokka slept in this very room together _every single night_ for the past two years? He… he supposed they had. Huh.

Sokka asked, “Did you seriously not notice?” and Zuko snapped his gaze back to Sokka’s piercing gaze.

“I noticed!”

“Sure you did,” Sokka said, but he was smiling. “I knew you were thick, but I didn’t think you thought that I hated the Fire Nation. Zuko, I could never hate something that is so integrally a part of you.”

“You.” Zuko had to stop and start again before he could get the words out. “You love me.”

“I love you so goddamn much,” Sokka confirmed. His hands were gentle as they came to cradle the back of Zuko’s head, pulling out the hairpiece and letting Zuko’s long hair tumble around his shoulders. Zuko had to close his eyes, because there was _love_ in Sokka’s eyes, and his hands were so gentle, even when Zuko had been yelling at him less than ten minutes ago.

“I love you too,” Zuko whispered. His hands blindly came up to cradle Sokka’s jaw, tilting their heads so their foreheads were pressed together. It had been so long of keeping that simple, groundbreaking fact to himself, that finally saying it felt monumental. The room suddenly felt altogether too small to contain the overwhelming love he had for this man in his arms, and the love that Sokka had for him.

They _loved_ each other. Zuko was still reeling.

“This whole time?” Zuko asked, just to be sure.

“This whole time,” Sokka said.

“So you aren’t leaving?” Zuko was glad his eyes were still closed, because he couldn’t handle it if Sokka, even after everything he told him, was still going to leave him.

“Well, I was planning on going back to the Southern Water Tribe, but just for a visit. I was thinking we could both go. I had Enura clear our schedules.”

Zuko finally pulled back, looking at Sokka in surprise. “When did you do that?”

“Uh,” Sokka looked up at the ceiling, thinking back. “Few months ago?”

“What?” Three months ago, Zuko had been so sure that Sokka was planning on going back to the Southern Water Tribe. He never would have imagined that Sokka wanted Zuko to go _with_ him. The thought didn’t even cross his mind.

“Yeah,” Sokka said. His hands hadn’t moved from where they were gently holding Zuko’s face, thumbs rough as they stroked along the edge of Zuko’s cheekbones.

“You never told me,” Zuko said. This whole time, Zuko was on one page, while Sokka had been reading a completely different book.

“I–” Sokka’s shoulders slumped, and when he looked back at Zuko, his eyes were more sincere than Zuko had ever seen them. “I thought you _knew._ It took me longer than expected, but I completed all that paperwork so I could be the Ambassador and surprise you here. And yes, being Ambassador is more than just spending time with you, and I’m so happy with the work I’m doing. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do it because of you.

“I thought I made my intentions clear on the first night. And the next day, when I moved into your bedroom because if you stayed in _my_ room, people would think you’d been kidnapped. Zuko, we’ve had so many picnic dates by the turtleduck pond. In the city, too. We painted our bedroom wall together _._ Shit, I – I thought I was being obvious. I thought you knew.”

Zuko was quiet for a long time, because he had two years of memories to sort through and recategorize. He used to keep his memories with Sokka locked up tight in a corner of his mind, a place where he couldn’t look back on them, because it would hurt too much.

All this time… _all this_ time… Sokka had loved him back. It was almost too much.

Almost.

One by one, Zuko took those memories out of the corner. He dragged them into the light and dusted them off. And in those flashes of memory, Zuko saw happiness, and love, and the overwhelming feeling of _peace._

So maybe Zuko had to rethink this a little – it could never be peaceful one hundred percent of the time. He wouldn’t always be able to control when Sokka’s life was in danger. But if Zuko could even give Sokka just this slightest sliver of peace, then who was Zuko to deny that?

Sokka was wrong. Peace wasn’t overrated.

Peace was something they found in each other.

In that moment, Zuko knew he was going to spend the rest of his life loving this man. He was going to give Sokka every part of him, and know Sokka entirely in return.

He couldn’t think of any other person he would rather find peace in. And now he knew that all this time, Sokka found peace in Zuko, too.

“I love you,” Zuko told Sokka. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” He practically launched himself at Sokka, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him hard. Sokka could only pull Zuko closer and kiss him back just as passionately.

Sokka eventually pulled away, but it was only to murmur, “I love you, too,” against Zuko’s lips before kissing him again.

When they collapsed into bed together, it was only to sleep, because Zuko was still exhausted. Sokka’s head was propped on Zuko’s bare chest, one finger lightly tracing his collarbone.

“You know,” Sokka said quietly. “I think we won.”

Zuko remembered a night some time ago where they had lain on the sand and stared up at the stars. Sokka had said something very similar, back then. Zuko hadn’t replied, too nervous at what was to come.

Zuko ran his fingers through Sokka’s hair, leaning down to press a kiss against his temple. They _had_ won. The war was over, and they had finally found peace.

“You know what?” Zuko responded. “I think you’re right.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! If you liked this story, you might like a similar one I wrote that was inspired by 'peace' by Taylor Swift. you can find it here: [take my hand, wreck my plans](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056011).
> 
> you can also follow my tumblr [@zukkababey](https://zukkababey.tumblr.com/) for more zukka content 😊
> 
> also.... hey.... pssst. there’s a podfic of this work, and IT INCLUDES THE MUSIC. it’s incredible. even if podfics aren’t your thing, i would highly recommend checking it out!!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [i could (never) give you peace [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26974738) by [Rionaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rionaa/pseuds/Rionaa)




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